SCUBA tank to drive a batt charger motor

[model 10]

Originally Posted by Ofer

this gets my vote!!

how about using the scuba tank to blow air onto the sails on windless days.

Don't laugh to loud about the pull rope idea, it's been done in some situations. You need to fashion a wood hook that will come off the prop blade without getting hooked up when it starts.
Can you blow on sails from you own boat?

[ephyraboater]

All - as the original poster, I thank all for your serious and silly comments. Offline I've found other sources of info re scuba tanks and air tools, with many wildly-varying opinions.

I'm gonna buy an air tool in the future and see if I can do anything useful with it hooked to a scuba tank.

Will be some weeks (perhaps months) from now, but I plan to post any positive/negative results then (probably a new thread due to time-elapsed). Thanks.

[Dennis.G]

Originally Posted by Ofer

how about using the scuba tank to blow air onto the sails on windless days.

I know you're just kidding, but that would not work. If you pointed tank at sail and opened valve you would get a pressure pushing back at the tank that would counteract the force acting on the sail.

Better to just point tank outlet off the stern of the boat and blast away. Might move you a few feet

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by ephyraboater

All - as the original poster, I thank all for your serious and silly comments. Offline I've found other sources of info re scuba tanks and air tools, with many wildly-varying opinions.

I'm gonna buy an air tool in the future and see if I can do anything useful with it hooked to a scuba tank.

Will be some weeks (perhaps months) from now, but I plan to post any positive/negative results then (probably a new thread due to time-elapsed). Thanks.

We have been dismissed.

[model 10]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

We have been dismissed.

Thats to bad.

[ephyraboater]

Hey - no dismissal-dissing from me - didn't mean any negative implications. Just figured it would be best for me to say that I'll try things for myself, based on what I learned from the posts, and given all the uncertainties involved with my question. Truly, thanks all. (And I'm always open to more ideas - martini-stirring-motor or otherwise)

[Ofer]

Originally Posted by ephyraboater

I'm gonna buy an air tool in the future and see if I can do anything useful with it hooked to a scuba tank.

Will be some weeks (perhaps months) from now, but I plan to post any positive/negative results then (probably a new thread due to time-elapsed). Thanks.

there is no doubt you can do that. i do it all the time. first stage downs the pressure to 170 psi so you got to make sure your tool can handle that or put another regulator. depends on the tool the air will not last too long. so she says

[nimblemotors]

I pulled out one of my computer fans (I have a box of 100) and it does not generate.
But it is pretty easy to modify them to be generators. Here is a video on making one into a generator. I note this guy took the fan all apart, but you can just drill some holes in the back and get access to the coil connections.
Then capacitors to replace the start battery.

A Wind Power Generator made of computer cooling FAN - YouTube

Replace your car battery with capacitors! 12V BoostPack Update - YouTube

[Steve Bean]

Has anybody else heard of starting a sailboat engine by wrapping a line or strap around the flywheel and pulling on it somehow? The line would be led up through a block suspended from the boom. How to pull it? Maybe arrange it so somebody can jump down on it. If something went wrong I could see some broken bones...

[Zil]

This thread should be dead by now.

I have tried using an air tank from a fire department rescue air tank. The pressure falls too quickly to be of much use.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Steve Bean

Has anybody else heard of starting a sailboat engine by wrapping a line or strap around the flywheel and pulling on it somehow? The line would be led up through a block suspended from the boom. How to pull it? Maybe arrange it so somebody can jump down on it. If something went wrong I could see some broken bones...

This idea sprung from the Vendee ocean race where it was used by Desoyueaux to start his genny( he crash gybed the boat and started it)

(a) most modern engines dont have an exposed flywheel

(b) The exposed crankshaft pully is too small a diameter to exhert enough force on ( or get enough wraps of line on )

(c) if you have Desoyueaux abilities why are you asking us!

(d) Yes broken bones, the rig coming down, the boom breaking, I suspect after you try it , starting the engine will be way down your list of priorities.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Steve Bean

Has anybody else heard of starting a sailboat engine by wrapping a line or strap around the flywheel and pulling on it somehow? The line would be led up through a block suspended from the boom. How to pull it? Maybe arrange it so somebody can jump down on it. If something went wrong I could see some broken bones...

This ideas sprung from teh Vendee ocean race an was used by Desoyueaux to start his benny( he crash gybed the boat and started it)

(a) most modern engines dont have an exposed flywheel

(b) The exposed crankshaft pully is too small a diameter to exhert enough force on

(c) if you have Desoyueaux abilities why are you asking us! ( the man is a sailing GOD basically )

(d) Yes broken bones, the rig coming down, the boom breaking, I suspect after you try , it starting the engine will be way down your list of priorities.

[Steve Bean]

All very good points, goboatingnow; this certainly wouldn't work for everybody. just trying to stir the pot. I don't think this thread is dead; in every 50 wacky ideas there may be a couple of good ones, or one that sparks something in the obscure seldom-traveled tracks of somebody's brain. Let's hear them!

[hugosalt]

Originally Posted by ephyraboater

I have a (3000 psi) SCUBA tank, primarily for pleasure and/or bottom-work. I wonder if I could use this as an energy source to drive an alternator/charger, for the (hopefully never-occurring) event when I have dead batteries that will not start my diesel engine. I assume (?) that a full/near-full tank could run a small motor (alternator/charger) quite awhile, long enough to adequately charge a engine-starting battery.

There are many pneumatic tools on the market, but I would like to find/build a pneumatic (SCUBA-driven, ~150 psi available) generator/alternator (not sure proper name). Aside from my diving regulator, I have an old "1st stage" regulator that has an output hose that can deliver the 150psi to whatever.

Any of the experts out there have insights into this? I've done a fair amount of googling, but can't come up with anything useful.... Especially if it has not been done by others, this may be cost-prohibitive, but it would be great if there's something simple/useful out there. Thanks.

I have not read all posts in this thread, apologies if this has been covered...

Number of years ago (maybe 1988ish) was invited on a
large (90 fter.) old boat that had sailed up from Belize
after a refit, still needed loads of work. Owner took the time to show me around and said boat was built in
Norway before WW2 but not powered unit after the war.
Eventually was powered with an U boat diesel which he started using compressed air from his scuba tanks.

See purpose built units, look up... air start systems

[Zil]

Air starter could work, one shot deal from a tank.
Air charger?